A Not So Ordinary Bookstore
The massive shelves of an old bookstore
clash with the surrounding city of technology and development give this
enjoyable novel its start. Sloan’s Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore follows
the main character Clay Jannon who lives in the ever advancing city of San
Francisco. Clay is young and smart but facing unemployment after his web design job
at a start-up bagel company goes south.
In a desperate search for some money, Clay comes across the bookstore
that bears the name of its owner, Mr. Penumbra.
Clay takes on the job of the night clerk in the lonely bookstore that
receives almost no business, but still manages to keep its doors open around
the clock. The bookstore itself is
unlike anything Clay has ever seen; the tall, narrow building is stacked full
of books, however none of them seem to be current or follow any sort of
pattern. The oddest part of the store is
the section of books Clay calls, “the waybacklist,” that are rented out by
members of a club that visits the store.
Clay originally keeps his eyes off the books, but when his roommate Mat
comes to visit they crack open a book to find not a story but a code. This development causes Clay to focus on one
sole purpose: cracking the code. Along
the way, Clay is met by many challenges but also love, renewed friendship, and
knowledge. Clay must find the meaning
within the books to help unlock the mystery of the bookstore, Penumbra, and
life itself.
The themes in the novel revolve around
relationships between characters and contain a positive message that resonates
well with the audience. The main theme
traced throughout the book is how friendship affects one’s life and also how
eternal life is always present.
Although these concepts may not appear directly related on the surface,
the historical figure Griffo Gerritszoon lives on forever through the typeface
that he creates during his time spent with his mentor Aldus Manitius. Although the novel follows the reading group,
The Unbroken Spine, who is devoted to unlocking the words of Manutius from
centuries ago, it is actually Griffo who holds the key to immortality that they
all seek. Griffo notes how important Aldus
has been in supporting him in his endeavors, indirectly stressing that “there
is not immortality that is not built on friendship and work with care” (288). The relationship between the two characters is
the key to unlocking the theme hidden within the text of Sloan. Instead of a special way to make someone live
forever hidden in the story of Manutius, the bond between the two men
illustrates that although man cannot live forever, friendship and strangely
enough font, can last a lifetime. The
relationship between these two highlights good morals, which helps create a
positive perspective that resonates well with readers. By developing these themes of friendship,
Sloan creates an enjoyable story where readers are able to relate the ideas to
their own lives, which adds significance to the storyline. The relationship
between characters that invokes positivity into the story helps the novel to
reach a greater audience.
The setting of the story creates a mental
image that makes the book a better read.
Setting is an important aspect that often can make or break a story, and
in the case of Sloan’s novel, setting places the book a cut above the
rest. Various locations play a role
throughout, but Mr. Penumbra’s Bookstore is by far the most iconic. Clay describes getting books off of its
shelves, “look straight ahead, not up or down; you keep your eyes focused about
a foot in front of your face and you let the books zoom by in a blur or
colorful spines” (11). This brief, yet
descriptive insight into the store depicts the detail that Sloan uses
constantly in regards to setting. The
level of intrigue rises greatly when this is the case, and is why this book is transformed
from something good into something great.
The massive shelves and blur of color that are described create a clear
mental image of a bizarre bookstore that sticks for the entire story. A clear mental image aids better
understanding, and more importantly, leads to more enjoyment for the person
reading the book. A book that is fun to
read, and easy to understand because of its descriptions, make this a book many
people will enjoy. For this reason, the
detailed setting Sloan illustrates, is the reason the book is such a
page-turner.
The end plot created by Sloan is logical,
and it must be for the novel to be read from a realistic point of view. Throughout the story, the plot follows a
course of realistic events that could easily happen in everyday life. The end of the novel continues this trend,
which dismays Kat who says, ‘“it’s not good enough…he was so talented, and yet
he still died”’ (278). The death of Gerritszoon,
the one who is thought to have the key to escape it, is the only logical way
for Sloan to wrap up the story, present his argument on eternal life, and not
turn towards the fantasy genre.
Unlocking a key to a true human immortality would have given nothing
more to the novel as a whole, and it would instead require an entire new plot
to track what this development would mean.
The story falls in a realistic fiction genre, and the death of Griffo is
the only way to keep the story from completely changing directions. Although this choice made by Sloan could be
taken as boring, without the realization that no immortality exists, Sloan
would not have been able to present the main themes and arguments that he develops. As a result, the end plot is a necessary
wrap-up that helps maintain the realistic tone of the novel.
Robin Sloan does an excellent job in his
work, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore,
creating memorable moments, exciting characters, and an intriguing plot that
keeps the pages turning. This story is
the perfect mix of reality and fiction, its fiction helping to create the
aspects of the story that help it to be so interesting. This is a book that should be read by all
people, it can be enjoyed by young and old alike because the themes that it
presents will ring true for every age group.
Readers will enjoy this rather easy read, and how it keeps a positive
tone in each situation throughout. Bottom
line: Sloan’s novel is a must-read for every age and every stage, worth the
praise placed upon it and sure to keep the reader on the edge of their seat.
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